The Journals of Lewis & Clark: July 6, 1806

July 5, 1806

July 7, 1806

July 6, 1806

July 6th 1806. Set out a little after sunrise passed the creek a little above our encampment.

East 14 M. to the point at which the river leaves the extensive plains and enters the mountains these plains I called the prarie of the knobs from a number of knobs being irregularly scattered through it. passed the N. fork 1 of the Cokahlarishkit Rivers at 7 M. it is 45 yds. wide deep and rapid. had some difficulty in passing it. passed a large crooked pond at 4 ms. further. great Number of the burrowing squirrls in this prarie of the speceis common to the plains of Columbia. saw some goats and deer. the hunters killed one of the latter. the trail which we take to be a returning war-party of the Minnetares of Fort de prarie becomes much fresher. they have a large pasel of horses. saw some Curloos, bee martains woodpeckers plover robins, doves, ravens, hawks and a variety of sparrows common to the plains also some ducks. the North fork is terbid as is also the main branch which is about 50 yds. wide the other streams are clear. these plains continue their course S 75 E. and are wide where the river leaves them. up this valley and creek a road passes to Dearbourn's river and thence to the Missouri.

N. 60 E 11/2 up the river. here we halted and dine and our hunters overtook us with a deer which they had killed. river bottoms narrow and country thickly timbered. Cottonwood and pine grow intermixed in the river bottoms musquitoes extreemely troublesome. we expect to meet with the Minnetares and are therefore much on our guard both day and night. the bois rague in blume.- saw the common small blue flag and peppergrass. the southern wood and two other speceis of shrub are common in the prarie of knobs. preserved specemines of them. passed several old indian encampments of brush lodges.-

S 80 E 2 m. to two nearly equal forks of the river here the road forks also one leading up each branch these are the forks of which I presume the indians made mention. passed a creek on N. side 12 yds. wide shallow and clear.

N 75 E. 8 m. to our encampment of this evening over a steep high

Ms. 25 balld toped hill for 2 m. thence through and to the left of a large low bottom 2 M. thence three miles through a thick wood along the hill side bottoms narrow. thence 1 m. to our encampment on a large creek some little distance above it's mouth through a beatifull plain on the border of which we passed the remains of 32 old lodges. they appear to be those of the Minnetares as are all those we have seen today. killed five deer and a beaver today. encamped on the creek much sign of beaver in this extensive bottom.

Sunday 6th July 1806

Some frost this morning the last night was so cold that I could not Sleep. we Collected our horses which were much scattered which detained us untill 9 A.M. at which time we Set out and proceeded up the Creek on which we camped 3 Miles and left the road which we came on last fall to our right and assended a ridge with a gentle Slope to the dividing mountain which Seperates the waters from the Middle fork of Clarks river from those and Lewis's river and passed over prosueing the rout of the Oat lash shute band which we met last fall to the head of a branch of Wisdom R and down the Said branch crossing it frequently on each Side of this handsom glades in which I observe great quantities of quawmash just beginning to blume on each side of those glades the timber is small and a great propotion of it Killed by the fires. I observe the appearance of old buffalow roads and some heads on this part of the mountain. The Snow appears to lying in considerable masses on the mountain from which we decended on the 4th of Septr. last. I observe great numbers of the whistleing Squirel which burrows their holes Scattered on each Side of the glades through which we passed. Shields killed a hare of the large mountain Species. the after part of the day we passed on the hill Side N of the Creek for 6 Ms. Creek and entered an extensive open Leavel plain in which the Indian trail Scattered in Such a manner that we Could not pursue it. the Indian woman wife to Shabono informed me that she had been in this plain frequently and knew it well that the Creek which we decended was a branch of Wisdom river and when we assended the higher part of the plain we would discover a gap in the mountains in our direction to the Canoes, and when we arived at that gap we would See a high point of a mountain covered with snow in our direction to the canoes. we proceeded on 1 mile and Crossd. a large Creek from the right which heads in a Snow Mountain and Fish Creek over which there was a road thro a gap. we assended a Small rise and beheld an open boutifull Leavel Vally or plain of about 20 Miles wide and near 60 long extending N & S. in every direction around which I could see high points of Mountains Covered with Snow. I discovered one at a distance very high covered with Snow which bore S. 80° E. The Squar pointed to the gap through which she said we must pass which was S. 56° E. She said we would pass the river before we reached the gap. we had not proceeded more than 2 Miles in the last Creek, before a violent Storm of wind accompand. with hard rain from the S W. imediately from off the Snow Mountains this rain was Cold and lasted 11/2 hours. I discovd. the rain wind as it approached and halted and formd. a solid column to protect our Selves from the Violency of the gust. after it was over I proceeded on about 5 Miles to Some Small dry timber on a Small Creek and encampd. made large fires and dryed our Selves. here I observed Some fresh Indian Signs where they had been gathering quawmash.